It is known that caps and connectors are commonly used at the ends of flexible cable to supply power of different voltages, amperages, and phases to apparatus on a temporary basis. For example, such power is supplied on a temporary hook-up basis to lighting equipment and various portable machinery and construction site equipment and in other locations where such equipment is used. There are occasions for example when a construction job is started and a reel or a length of cable is obtained and cut to desirable shorter lengths. These custom cut lengths of cable are then equipped with caps and connectors to permit supply of power at various amperages and voltages to various powered equipment used at the construction site to assist in the building operation. The pace at which the devices can be disassembled and attached to the cable and then reassembled is significant because the labor cost of performing these operations at construction sites is relatively high. Accordingly, any saving in the rate at which such attachment can be made is economically beneficial. In addition, it is desirable that the devices, once assembled, be firmly retained to their cable and perform well in their power supply function. Caps and connectors which have been known and used heretofore include those taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,461,417 assigned to the same assignee as this application, as well as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,605,059 and 3,718,890.
Surprisingly, it has been found possible to substantially reduce the time which is needed to attach these caps and connector devices to cables and it has accordingly been found possible to derive thereby significant economic advantage in their use.
Further, it is well known that a single cable having three or four or five wires may be employed in a number of different applications in supplying or carrying power on a temporary basis. For example, power may be supplied at 120 volts or at 220 volts through a given piece of cable. Where the power available is 120 volts that is the power which is employed in a particular application. However, where higher voltage power is available the cable may be employed in temporary supply of the higher voltage power. However, the caps and connectors which are used and can be used in supply of 120 volt power do not have, pursuant to the configurations recommended by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, the same blade configurations for the power blades used with 220 volt power nor do they have the same connector blade opening configurations. Accordingly, where a set of cables is employed in one fashion and these cables are to be converted by change of their caps and connectors to use at different voltages and/or amperages, the caps and connectors may be removed from the lengths of cable and the alternate caps and connectors may be attached. In such case, it will be evident that the pace and accuracy with which such conversion can be made does involve economic values and that the more rapidly a cap and connector can be changed with a high degree of reliability, the more economically this job can be done.
Further, where such change is to be carried out, there is some concern with being sure that a proper hook up is made, particularly as to ground wires and in the wiring or re-wiring of the caps and connectors of this invention it is not possible to connect the wires improperly so that the cable clamp is made live inasmuch as the cable clamp itself is insulating in contrast with many devices which have been known and used heretofore.